Tank maintenance for plant debris

I have a 5 month old planted tank fully cycled and stocked with 10 chili rasboras, 1 honey gourami and a few neocaridina shrimp. I'm very gentle with my weekly water changes as this is a 12 gallon long nano so I do about 30% once a week but my question is, I have a little build up of dead plant debris in the gravel and using my small gravel vac I still can't do my whole tank floor without removing more than 30-40% of the water. What the best plan of action to get my tank nice and clean again without harming my water babies? I really don't Wana fall behind and get build up
Thanks a bunch

 

Plant debris is a great way to make any tank healthy and forgiving as it creates much more diversity within the microbe community. Your plants, shrimp and fish absolutely benefit from the debris, directly and indirectly. A healthy microbe community will be able to keep up with processing the debris. (And it allows me to conduct max. 5% water changes every few weeks.)

Also if you allow the substrate to become a little dirty, you won't be bothered by new debris as you simply won't notice it. You might even start to appreciate the naturalness of the debris / substrate.

For most people this probably is similar to saying the Earth actually is flat.

If you like to get rid of the debris, the best way is to experiment with your filter outlets. I can tell, because in all my tanks, the debris accumulates in certain spots and leaves the substrate very clean in other spots. This would make it easy to collect the debris.

You have to be a bit careful though. Shrimp love debris, so this is also where you'll find a lot of shrimps. You could stir things up a bit in this particular spot and use the vac. cleaner to collect the debris.

 

Snails, shrimp and even your fish will have a nibble at the decaying organic matter.

It can be unsightly though, all that matter atop and mixed into the substrate. So you could use your hands and a net to collect it. Gravel vac can work but like you said too much water drains and its still there.

Trimming plants when you notice decay is best and regular trimming will limit the amount of organic waste...but it is beneficial to the ecosystem. Like adding IAL to an aquarium, there is benefits to allowing it to break down slowly in the aquarium. Too much waste can be detrimental though, causing some level to go out of wack. So try not to let it get excessive.

 

I agree with ruud. I never vac my tanks. However, one technique I've seen is to use a turkey baster to gently disrupt the debris in and around plants. This lifts it into the water column which allows it to be sucked up. Do one spot at a time so you don't create a big mess.

Also, you can try a smaller siphon hose so you don't remove so much water.

 

Or just change 40% of the water.

 

Or just change 40% of the water.

Yes, there is that option . 50% weekly is a good rule of thumb IMO. Especially if the tank is only 12 gal. Easy peasy.